This application relates generally to gas turbine engines, and more particularly, to a heat shield assembly utilized within a gas turbine engine.
At least one known gas turbine engine includes a combustor that includes between ten and thirty mixers to facilitate mixing relatively high velocity air with liquid fuels, such as diesel fuel, or gaseous fuels, such as natural gas. These mixers usually include a single fuel injector located at a center of a swirler for swirling the incoming air to enhance flame stabilization and mixing. Both the fuel injector and mixer are located on a combustor dome.
The combustor also includes a heat shield that facilitates protecting the dome assembly. The heat shields are cooled by impinging air on the side nearest the dome to ensure that the operating temperature of the heat shields remains within predetermined limits. However, since known heat shields have a limited useful life, it is often relatively difficult to remove the used heat shield to install a new heat shield, and as such, may adversely impact the maintenance procedure.